


Pit Stop

by capricopia3



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Crying, Embarrassment, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Kiss, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Heart-to-Heart, I couldn’t fit Romelle into this fic, Idiots in Love, Keith & Lance bromance, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Light Angst, Literal Sleeping Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Made For Each Other, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Mixed Signals, Mutual Pining, POV Keith (Voltron), Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Post-Season/Series 06, Relationship Advice, Secret Crush, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room, Shiro (Voltron) is a Mess, Sleeping Together, cliche dodge, let’s just pretend she’s fighting the Galra with the Rebels, like spoilers-seen-in-the-trailer kind of spoilers, the aliens are antis, very slight s7 spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-06
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-06-06 00:49:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,933
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15183086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/capricopia3/pseuds/capricopia3
Summary: A pit stop, they said.Just a few vargas, they said.Just need to find some unpronounceable part to repair Pidge’s cloaking device, they said.Yet here they still were...Team Voltron makes a stop on the way to Earth, where Keith is forced to confront his true feelings for Shiro.





	1. Misunderstandings and Realizations

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a oneshot, but it got away from me. I doubt it's that good (it's my first fanfic), but after the gift of Season 6 and the klanti hate resulting from it, I wanted to write something to celebrate the validity of Sheith. Hope you enjoy.

A pit stop, they said.

Just a few vargas, they said.

Just need to find some unpronounceable part to repair Pidge’s cloaking device, they said.

Yet here they still were, hours after meeting the locals and being invited to a grand feast at the palace. Minutes after Allura had graciously accepted accommodations for the night on the paladins’ behalf. Seconds after dropping off the last remaining paladin to her room. Currently standing at the end of the hall with their guide gesturing through the open door at the room within, lavishly decorated in pinks and purples, lights dimmed to a romantic setting, and candles surrounding the single queen-sized bed peppered with flower petals. 

Keith and Lance shared a confused look.

The awkward silence was unsurprisingly broken by Lance, who shook his head and chuckled, “I’m sorry, what was that again?”

The alien repeated herself. “This is your room, paladins. I hope it is to your liking.”

Keith clenched his jaw for fear of it falling open and words spilling out. He knew that no matter how awkward this was, it would be rude to refuse the lodging provided to them.

Lance, though, had no such reservations. “There must’ve been something lost in translation, here. Mullet and I will be requiring separate quarters, please and thank you.”

As Lance grinned at his astute problem-solving skills, Keith internally fought to keep his hand at his side and not swung at the back of that moron’s head.

“If this is not to your liking, we have another suite overlooking the gardens, but it will take some time to prepare,” the guide offered. 

“Hm, well, I guess _I’ll_ take _this_ one,” Lance suggested smugly as if he has just tricked Keith into waiting until another room was made up.

 _You idiot_ , Keith screamed internally, hoping their connection through the Lions would relay the message to Lance’s infantile brain, _they are not offering separate rooms!_

The alien guide smiled gently at the pair. “You two are cute.”

Lance shrugged. “I don’t know about him, but I’ve been told on good authority that I’m adorable.”

_Oh my god, stop talking!_

The guide laughed softly. “You are too much! If you have any other concerns about the room, one of you can report to our servants.”

Finally, the smile began to slip from Lance’s face. “Eh, that’s alright. I can just bunk with Hunk like we did back at the Garrison.”

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to dull the stress headache that was forming. How could a full-fledged paladin of Voltron be so clueless?

“It’s quite alright, paladins,” the guide reassured. “Your relationship is most welcome here.”

All at once, Lance seemed to understand what was being insinuated. “Wait, what?!” he sputtered. “You think Keith and I are…like…a thing?!”

 _Ding ding ding_ , Keith thought bitterly.

“Of course,” she stated. “And how could we separate a couple so beautiful on such a lovely evening?”

For once, Lance seemed to lack any response, for which Keith was grateful. Despite the relative peacefulness of this planet, Keith knew almost nothing of their customs. Prior to landing, Coran had informed them that the planet had previously been conquered by Lotor, who deemed it too beautiful to decimate and allowed residents to continue governing themselves. After Lotor aligned himself with Voltron, this central world was left alone as the outer rim planets in the quadrant took the brunt of retaliation from Galra forces still loyal to Zarkon. Without any other information, Keith had no idea how to properly conduct himself on the foreign world.

He wished that Allura or Shiro were here. The Voltron leaders were tactful enough to refuse this offer without upsetting their hosts and fracturing the delicate alliance that was building for the Coalition. Keith had always been bad with people, never knowing the correct or polite thing to say, so he usually opted for silence. Lance, on the other hand, seemed to lack any kind of verbal filter, which meant that he was likely to say something offensive about the undesirable sleeping arrangement.

Before Lance’s big mouth could inevitably ruin their stay, Keith stepped into the room and casually remarked, “It’s not that big of a deal.”

Taking this as a challenge, Lance scowled and copied Keith before thanking the guide as she closed the door.

“I call bed,” Lance declared while belly flopping onto the mattress. Keith wouldn’t even bother arguing. He had slept in worse places than on the floor of an alien honeymoon suite.

“Just give me a pillow,” Keith demanded. Said pillow was flung directly into his face.

“There you go.” Realizing that Keith was shooting him a death glare, Lance mocked, “Oh, did I hit you? My bad! I didn’t break anything, did I? I always forget how fragile bones can get at your advanced age.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Would you stop with the elderly jokes? I’m only four years older than you.”

“Exactly! You’re geriatric.”

As Keith seethed, Lance spread himself diagonally across the plush bed with a smirk. “These digs aren’t so bad. The others’ rooms were smaller than a broom closet.”

Keith laid at the foot of the bed, pillow tucked under his head. “Yeah, because our room is for couples. Which is fucking weird, Lance.”

“I know. What would give them the idea that we were together? Were you checking me out earlier?”

“No,” Keith responded tersely.

“It’s okay if you were. I’m pretty great to look at.”

“Absolutely not.”

Lance rolled onto his belly to peer over the side of the bed, fixing Keith with a dramatic sad puppy face. “Why not? What’s so wrong with me?”

Keith began counting on his fingers. “You’re loud, stubborn, oblivious, flirty, arrogant, competitive, terrible pilot—”

Another lobbed pillow silenced the rant.

“Jesus, Mullet,” Lance complained, “I didn’t expect you to have so many bullets at the ready.”

“Just go to sleep. This will be over by tomorrow and we can continue our trip home.”

“Home,” Lance repeated wistfully. “I always wondered when we’d go back to Earth.”

“Yeah…me too.”

It was the easiest response. Lance would never understand that Keith had nothing to go back to. He had no family waiting for him like the others, and therefore had no reason to return like they did. For most of his life, he had nothing—until he met Shiro. Shiro became his reason for everything. He studied hard so he could stay at the Garrison with Shiro. He pushed himself to break records regardless of what the other cadets thought of him because he wanted to stand as equals with Shiro. He accepted expulsion for punching Iverson in his stupid, bureaucratic face because he refused to believe the blatant lies about Shiro’s “pilot error.” He flew into space and protected the universe in a sentient mechanical lion alongside Shiro. The only reason Keith was going back to Earth was because that was where Shiro was going. The man was everything to him.

His silent brooding was interrupted by an excited query. “Do you think they’ll throw a parade for us? You know, since we’re space-travelling, reality-hopping heroes?”

Keith grumbled, “I think they’ll be more interested in locking us up and dissecting the Alteans and Krolia. Probably me too, now that I think about it.”

“Dark, man.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Just go to sleep.”

“Fine,” Lance pouted, “but stop raining on my literal parade.”

“ _Goodnight_ , Lance.”

Lance, never not having the last word, replied, “Don’t let the space bedbugs bite, gramps.”

* * *

 

Keith woke earlier than Lance, who somehow found a way to spread-eagle himself further across the mattress. _God help his eventual sleeping partner._

The sun was just beginning to rise, so Keith left his snoring comrade and quietly walked down the hall toward the bedroom he had taken note of the night prior. He knocked softly and waited patiently for an answer.

As the door opened, he greeted, “Morning, Shiro.”

Shiro’s eyes widened at the sight of Keith so chipper at this early hour. Back in their Garrison days, Shiro used to joke that the only way to interact with Morning Keith was to put a giant cup of coffee in front of him then back away quickly and quietly.

“Hey, buddy,” Shiro replied. “What’s up?”

Despite having a full night to rest up, Shiro looked just as drained and aged as when they’d arrived. Although, maybe it was the hair. Keith was still getting used to seeing his beloved friend with the shock of white atop his head, contrasting starkly with his tanned skin. Even without the facial markings, he could be mistaken for an Altean. A very tired, one-armed Altean.

Keith took a step closer. “Just wanted to check up on you. I know that you haven’t been getting very much sleep lately, especially after getting back from…you know.”

Since Allura brought him back, Team Voltron avoided having lengthy discussions about what happened to Shiro. Nothing beyond ‘Where were you?’ and ‘How did you get there?’ were ever asked. And nothing more than five-word answers were expected in return. They didn’t want Shiro to suffer through any more than he already had by reliving the experiences. Still, Keith worried that avoiding the subject might be more destructive. All he wanted was for Shiro to be back to normal, or at least what passed for normal nowadays.

As if reading Keith’s troubled thoughts, Shiro simply shrugged and smiled. “I’m okay, I think. Still a little drained, but I’m pulling myself together.” He sheepishly ran his hand through his tangled hair.

“I can cut it if you want.”

The words were out of his mouth before Keith even had a chance to consider how he knew that Shiro wanted a haircut. He had always implicitly known what Shiro was thinking just by studying the older man’s body language. Throughout their conversation, he noticed that his leader seemed fidgety and discomfited, refused to maintain eye contact, and was hunched over, refusing to stand at his full height. Anyone else might say that Shiro was just tired, but anyone else didn’t know what Shiro was like at his most exhausted, and Keith knew that this was different.

Right now, Keith sensed that Shiro’s unease stemmed from being back in his-but-not-quite-his body. Perhaps he was uncomfortable with the minute differences that reminded him of that. The clone had worn different clothes and styled his hair slightly shaggier than the real Shiro. Not to mention that Shiro was now lacking the Galra-installed arm that he had learned to accept and use against its makers. Keith guessed that maybe all he needed was to feel like he was in control of his body again, even if that meant something as small as a haircut.

As expected, Shiro’s eyes grew soft with appreciation as he opened the door fully. “I’d like that.”

Keith stepped over the threshold and pulled a chair to the middle of the room, motioning for Shiro to take a seat while he grabbed scissors and clippers from Shiro’s bag. He set the tools down on the table before softly running his fingers through the white mane, deciding on a place to start.

By the time Keith was touching up the finished product, it hit him. It had been years since he had given Shiro a haircut. The routine was born at the Garrison when the barbershop was closed for the holidays and Keith offered his services to Shiro despite knowing nothing about cutting hair. This resulted in the most uneven, choppy undercut that had ever been sported in all of history. Yet Shiro just laughed it off, saying that it was still technically within Garrison regulations. After that, he continued to go to Keith anytime he needed a trim. And over time, Keith had actually gotten good at it.

The last time had been the night before the Kerberos mission, the first—and final—night that the older pilot had free after returning from a six-week training course off-campus. When he returned, he’d looked so scraggly that Keith insisted on cutting his hair so the older pilot would be photo-ready for the launch.

While on the Castle of Lions, Keith had offered to start the haircuts again, and Shiro eagerly agreed, but they always managed to get sidetracked. Whether faced with the Galra, space pirates, or Haggar’s robeasts, they always found an excuse to put it off until the next week. Then Shiro went missing again.

Keith assumed that once Shiro was found, the first thing he would ask for would be a haircut. Yet the clone never approached Keith to continue the tradition. He had cut his own hair, in a style different than how Keith knew Shiro liked it. Small instances like this— _he dressed in short sleeves despite his metal arm being displayed, he didn’t stop to play with a pack of alien cats, he never finished a full plate of Hunk’s “mac and cheese”_ —began to pile up in Keith’s mind all at once and pointed to a single conclusion: the doppelganger obviously wasn’t Shiro.

“Keith,” Shiro whispered, “are you alright?”

Tears began rolling down Keith’s cheeks before he could stop them. How could he have been so blind? The others didn’t know Shiro well enough to notice the minutiae of his personality and mannerisms, but Keith did. Yet he’d still let a spy infiltrate the Castle-ship, left him alone with the team, allowed him to take Shiro’s place while the real Black Paladin was trapped and alone and dead. Was he really so desperate and pathetic that he willfully ignored the discrepancies of Haggar’s crudely designed copy for the sake and comfort of having something akin to Shiro back in his life?

Keith felt a gentle tug on his shirt, pulling him down until he was kneeling in front of Shiro’s seated form and held against his chest. Through his cries, he could hear a soothing voice comforting him with promises that everything was alright now. He didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms tightly around his oldest and dearest friend, fearful of letting him slip away again.

Shiro continued to hold him and rub circles into his back until the sobbing subsided. By the time he stopped shaking, Keith realized how embarrassing this was and moved to pull away, but was held in place by the other man’s strength. Keith looked up at Shiro, who began tenderly wiping the tear tracks from his swollen face, his warm grey eyes beaming down at the younger man like he was something precious. At that moment, all Keith wanted to do was kiss him.

_Wait, what?!_

Before Keith could consider the thought any further, the door opened and the alien guide from last night stood gaping at them.

Keith immediately jumped up and away from Shiro, tripping over his own feet in the process. _Real smooth, dipshit_ , Keith thought.

“I was told to inform the paladins that breakfast is ready in the dining hall.” Unlike yesterday, the guide’s tone was cold and unwelcoming, smile absent from her impassive face.

Seemingly unaffected by her poor mood, Shiro calmly responded, “We’ll be right there.”

The alien retreated without even closing the door behind her. _Rude_.

“I need to get ready,” Shiro stated as he stood to his feet. “Thank you, Keith. This helped a lot. I’ll see you at breakfast.”

Keith couldn’t find the words to respond, so he exited with much dignity as possible while power-walking away from his emotions. As he made his way back to his room, he began panicking about the trajectory of his thoughts during the haircut.

Why would he want to kiss Shiro? Shiro was his friend, his leader, his family. Though he’d never had a brother, this was the only thing he could equate their relationship to. Shiro had always been there for him, had believed in him, had protected and nurtured him when everyone else dismissed him as a lost cause. They had always been closer than the other paladins. The others were their friends, but what Keith and Shiro had was stronger and indestructible. That was brotherhood, right?

Still in shock, Keith threw himself through the bedroom door and slammed it shut, startling his roommate out of unconsciousness.

“What the quiznak, Mullet?! I was sleeping!”

Right, Lance was here. Present for Keith’s mental breakdown. Awesome. Keith had to think of something to distract him.

“I…um…food.”

_Nailed it._

“Oh, food!” Lance was up and dressed before Keith could even utter another syllable. “What’s up with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I just…i-it’s nothing.”

“Whatever, dude,” Lance replied as he sprinted out the door. “Race you to the table.”

With Lance gone, Keith could finally take a moment to sort through his thoughts. After getting his heartrate down to a relatively normal level, he considered skipping breakfast to avoid Shiro. Whatever confusion was brewing in his heart could only spell danger for their relationship. But Shiro couldn’t help the effect that he had on Keith. And if Keith avoided him for too long, Shiro would get suspicious. He had to face him sooner or later, and fate seemed to decide for him that it would be sooner. Keith took a deep, steady breath and reluctantly made his way to the dining room.

Everyone was sat at a long table, with the alien leader seated at one end and Allura at the other. Comet was busy pacing between the chairs as certain people—Hunk—snuck the space wolf food under the table. Keith also noticed that the only other open spot was right next to Lance, because apparently being trapped in the same room with the guy wasn’t torture enough.

“’Bout time,” Pidge called out as she skillfully shoveled a spoonful of food into her mouth while stealing something off Matt’s plate with her other hand. “Grab a plate before it’s all gone!”

Keith shuffled awkwardly up to the table. On the way, he caught Allura’s eye. Just from her expression, Keith knew he needed to apologize to the host for his tardiness.

“Sorry I’m late.”  

Leader smiled down at him. “It is forgiven, paladin. Please, have a seat next to your partner.”

She gestured to the empty seat beside Lance, who was happily distracted spooning something that looked like blue potatoes onto his already overflowing plate.

Keith could only barely stop himself from rolling his eyes. _So that’s what I forgot to tell Shiro this morning. These weirdos think I’m dating Lance…on purpose!_

As he sat down, he realized that his and Lance’s chairs were much closer than everyone else’s, to the point that their arms were pressed flush against each other. Keith looked to see where Shiro was seated, finding him on the other side of the table at the furthest end. As far away as he could be, then. Great.

The paladins ate in silence, with the only occasional noise being the grunts of pain from Lance and Keith when one would accidentally elbow the other, and the other would respond in kind.

At finishing her meal, Allura announced, “Thank you for your hospitality. We truly appreciate your aide in feeding and housing us, but we must get back to the matter at hand.”

“Ah, of course,” Leader replied. “The mechanism you are searching for is unfortunately unavailable at this juncture. I suggest your team remain here for the time being until we can sort something out. Perhaps one of the citizens would be willing to donate their own machine parts for your cause.”

Allura, ever the diplomat, agreed, with stipulation that the Holts and Hunk be involved in tracking down the part. Krolia invited herself along on their quest, stating that she wanted to take Comet on a walk anyway. Meanwhile, Coran, Lance, and Shiro went about exploring the palace. This left Keith and Allura to spend some quality time together, which Allura took to mean as having a private chat in the Blue Lion.

As soon as they were sealed inside, Allura began the interrogation. “What was going on at breakfast?”

Keith felt his adrenaline spike. Was he that obvious? Did Shiro know something? How did Allura figure it out? Keith didn’t even fully understand what he was feeling yet. _Probably best to play dumb._

“What do you mean?”

“I mean why did the locals suddenly feel the need to control our seating arrangement? As soon as Shiro came in, they insisted on sitting him at the end of the table with me, and placed you so close to Lance that you were practically in his lap. Did you do something to insult them? Were they punishing you?”

Keith sighed in relief. “No, nothing like that. I think—they think that Lance and I are together. Like…romantically.”

The princess’s eyebrows rose so far up into her hairline that Keith wondered if they would ever come back down.

“You and Lance?” she probed curiously. “What would ever give them that idea?”

“No clue,” he admitted. “They had us bunk together last night too. I didn’t know how to say ‘no’ without possibly causing an interplanetary incident, and Lance was so shocked that he couldn’t speak, so we just went with it. It…was awkward.”

Allura’s gaze bore into him for a few seconds before she finally cracked. It started with some light snickers, which evolved into hearty giggles, which grew into boisterous laughter. Keith couldn’t help but smile at seeing the princess so full of life after everything she’d been through, even if it was at his expense.

As Allura wiped the tears from her eyes, she assured him that everything would be fine. “We won’t be staying here much longer. As soon as Pidge finds what she’s looking for, we’ll be back on our way to Earth. And I’m sorry you had to put up with Lance for the night, I know you two are at odds most of the time. Being confined to a small space must not have helped matters.”

Keith shrugged. “Eh, he’s not that bad.”

Allura smiled shyly and remarked, “No, I suppose he’s not really bad at all.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Keith responded before realizing that she was mostly talking to herself.


	2. Advice and Admissions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out a lot angstier than originally planned. Sorry about that.

By nightfall, progress on finding the spare part had crawled to a standstill. The paladins once again sat down to a beautiful feast, with Keith again seated excessively close to an uncomfortable Lance, followed by again retiring to their rooms.

On the way, Shiro pulled Keith aside to check in. “Hey, are you alright?”

Keith tried desperately to be casual despite the butterflies in his stomach and tension in his chest. “Yeah, totally fine.”

“Are you sure? You haven’t seemed like yourself all day.”

“It’s not that big of a deal.”

Shiro gave a small grin. “So, there _is_ something bothering you?”

Keith sighed at how easily he was tricked into admitting the existence of his problem. Denial was no longer an option. “I can handle it on my own,” he answered. “I promise.”

_I just need to get you out of my head._

Concern clouded Shiro’s handsome, chiseled face. He instinctively reached out with his severed right arm before hesitating and retracting the stump sheepishly. “Is it…was it the haircut?”

That certainly caught Keith’s attention. “No! The haircut—th-that’s not it. I-I don’t…”

 “I understand if it’s me, Keith,” Shiro stated solemnly, shifting his gaze to the floor. “I-I know that a haircut isn’t going to change how you see me or what you went through. The clone…this body, it hurt you and the team. I know that and just thinking about it makes me sick. If you’re uncomfortable being around me, please tell me. I just…please don’t try to spare my feelings. If you need me to back off, I understand and I accept it. Whatever you need to feel better, let me help.”

Keith didn’t realize he’d stopped breathing until the other man finished talking. Why did Shiro insist on holding the weight of the world on his shoulders? He did nothing wrong! Shiro may be the object of his affections, but this was Keith’s problem and his alone. And now he had to walk the tightrope of assuaging Shiro’s guilt without also implicating his own unrequited feelings.

He swiftly grabbed Shiro’s left hand—his only hand—and placed it on his own shoulder, holding it there as he spoke. “It’s not you, Shiro. I know that you’re not him and I’m so glad to have you back. I just wanted…I wish I could have found you sooner.”

Shiro opened his mouth to protest, but Keith continued, “I keep thinking that maybe if I hadn’t left or maybe if I’d looked harder, I would’ve known he wasn’t you. That was my mistake. But even then, I still wouldn’t change what happened. Without the clone you’d still be stuck in the astral plane. You-You’d still be dead. Everything we went through, including the fight, was all worth it because…because it led you back to me. I don’t regret making my mistakes, I regret not making them sooner.”

Shiro paused and gave the shoulder under his hand a familiar reassuring squeeze. “I don’t want you to blame yourself for anything, not even for not finding me right away. All that matters is you saved me.”

 _As many times as it takes_ , Keith almost replied before stopping himself, knowing that he never said those words to the real Shiro.

“I know that it was hard on you, but you are the strongest person I’ve ever met,” Shiro praised with a sad smile. “Whatever’s bothering you now, you don’t have to tell me. Just know that I’m here for you no matter what. I’ll never give up on you.”

Keith felt himself being pulled in for a hug and surrendered, pressing his body fully against Shiro’s broad frame, burying his face in the crook of Shiro’s neck like he always did. Only now it felt different. No, that’s not true. It felt the same, but now he had a name for it: Home. “Brother” was just a placeholder until he could find the proper name for what he felt for Shiro. And what he felt was love in its purest, most unconditional form. A love that he wanted to express with kisses and cuddles, flowers and dates, holding hands and…other stuff. _Oh, crap. Abort hug. Abort hug!_

“I should get back to my room,” Keith stated as he extracted himself from the muscular embrace. “Goodnight, Takashi.”

Before Shiro could see the blush spreading rapidly across his face, Keith marched back to his room and hastily shut the door.

“What is with you and the door slamming? That door never did anything to you,” Lance groaned from his starfish position on the bed.

“Shut up, Lance,” Keith responded on instinct as he shrugged off his jacket and laid down on the floor.

It almost surprised him that Lance didn’t react to the barb. Casual insults were usually how their fights started, usually ending with being physically pried apart by Shiro. Lance must be far more tired than he appeared. And if Pidge had ever taught Keith anything, it’s that the cocky paladin was far more susceptible to persuasion while exhausted. She once boasted about convincing him to streak naked across the Garrison campus when he was coming down from the high of an incalculable number of energy drinks at the end of their second semester’s finals week. The only thing that stopped Lance from getting more than five feet down the hall was Hunk’s mother hen instinct to protect his impressionable roommate from expulsion.

Keith quickly realized that maybe this idiot could actually be useful for once. He figured that if all it took to get Lance out of his clothes was a week of all-nighters, it should be relatively easy to siphon something as simple as free love advice while he was mildly lethargic.

“Lance, you like Allura, right?”

“Well, yeah,” Lance chuckled. “What’s not to like?”

Keith huffed, “No, I mean romantically. And seriously.”

Lance quieted for a moment before answering, “Um, yes. I mean…she’s incredible.”

“How so?”

“Well, she’s smart, and tough, and noble. It’s not just that she’s gorgeous on the outside. It’s like her beauty is a reflection of her inner light. Allura is the most amazing person I’ve ever known.”

“Oh.”

“Just ‘oh?’ Why are you asking anyway? Are you…you’re not interested in her, are you? Dude, she just went through a rough breakup. I don’t think she needs another alien trying to jump—”

“I’m not interested in Allura,” Keith interrupted his tirade. “I just…I-I want to know what it feels like to be in love.”

No amount of Blades training could have prepared him for what happened next. Lance unexpectedly shot up from the bed and threw himself on top Keith in a rough tackle.

“What?!” Lance screamed in his face. “You’ve never been in love? Like, ever? Not even a little bit?”

“Not consciously,” Keith answered honestly. “And get off me!”

Lance allowed himself to be shoved aside, but continued blabbering. “What does that mean? ‘Not consciously.’ Why do you have to be so cryptic and emo all the time?”

“I’m not cryptic and emo,” Keith argued. “I just didn’t know what I felt.”

“Well, why are you worried about it now? It’s not like—wait, you _just_ figured it out. That means you’re _currently_ crushing on someone!”

_Damn, why did he choose now to finally be observant?_

“Oh, quiznak,” Lance exclaimed giddily. “Who is it? Is it me? Is it Hunk? Is it Allura? No, you already said it wasn’t Allura…but it’s not, though, right?”

Keith needed him to stop talking fast. He elected to do this by covering Lance’s big mouth with his hand, unaware that the other man played dirty.

“Ew! Did you just lick my hand?!” Keith barked as he withdrew the soiled appendage and wiped it on Lance’s shirt.

“Drastic measure. Seriously, who is it?”

“I don’t want to talk about this.”

“You started us talking about this.”

“Not to start a conversation, just to, I dunno, understand a little better.”

Lance finally seemed to take pity and took a seat next to the hopeless sap. “First crushes are hard. Especially coming so fucking late in life.” Lance quickly ducked to avoid Keith’s well-aimed slap at his head. “I’m just saying it can help to talk through it with someone before you decide what to do.”

When it became clear that Keith was still not interested in contributing to the discussion, Lance sighed. “Look, if you won’t tell me about it, at least talk to Shiro. You two are close, right?”

Keith must have flinched at the sound of Shiro’s name, because now Lance was sitting up ramrod straight with interest. “No way. No way! Shiro?! Really?!”

Not caring about being licked again, Keith slammed his palm over the gaping hole in Lance’s face. They didn’t know how soundproof these walls were. Even with Shiro at the other end of the hall, others could be listening.

“Keep your voice down,” he hissed.

Lance’s eyes went wide as he pulled away. “Dude, that’s rough.”

“I know. That’s why I’m freaking out.”

“I mean, you two were always close, but I figured it was in some sort of mentor-mentee capacity.”

“It probably is to Shiro,” Keith admitted softly. “He has no clue. I-I don’t know how to act around him anymore.”

“Just act like normal,” Lance offered. “That’s all you can do until you’re brave enough to admit to the person you love how you really feel. Then the rest is up to them.”

“That’s…actually kind of insightful. So, how do you know when you’re brave enough?”

Lance shrugged. “I dunno. Haven’t gotten there myself yet.”

It suddenly dawned on Keith how the princess had practically melted when talking about the new Red Paladin. “You know, I bet Allura would consider it if you told her the truth.”

Lance shook his head. “Not yet. She really cared about Lotor and that jerk broke her heart. Plus, she just found out that there’s a colony of surviving Alteans that’ve been used as living quintessence batteries for millennia. Not to mention that she’s in charge of uniting the entire free universe under the Coalition. It’s just…I don’t want to put any more pressure on her right now. I like her too much to prey on her at her most vulnerable. Maybe one day when we’re both ready to deal with that bombshell.”

“Fair enough.”

The pair sat silently for a couple minutes, basking in the air of shared secrets and guilty admissions. Lance was the first one to interrupt the peaceful silence, as usual. “We should get some rest. Busy day tomorrow.”

With that, he hopped back on the mattress and snuggled under the comforter.

Keith’s scowl returned. “Really? We just had another bonding moment and you’re not even gonna offer me the bed for tonight?”

“I called dibs! The rule of dibs holds higher priority than elder care in the McClain household!” he declared before getting a pillow to the face.

* * *

 

Keith wasn’t sure how long he’d been staring at the ceiling, but judging by his roommate’s snoring, he assumed it was too long. Despite being exhausted, sleep eluded him, as he couldn’t shake the anxiety that accompanied his newfound emotions.

 _A splash of cold water might snap me out of this_ , Keith thought as he stood from the floor and extracted himself from the room, working hard not to interrupt Lance’s “beauty rest.” As he made his way down the hall toward the communal bathroom, something caught his attention. Muffled sounds echoing from an intersecting hall drew him in the opposite direction he intended and toward the palace’s training room.

He peered inside and saw Shiro repeatedly attack a punching bag with feet and fist, sometimes throwing an elbow into the mix for variety. With bulging muscles and tousled hair, the older man embodied the textbook definition of masculinity, his beauty marred only by the dark circles under his tired eyes.

After a few seconds of gawking and silently wishing to trade places with the bead of sweat running down Shiro’s throat, Keith revealed his presence. “What are you doing up?”

Shiro started before realizing it was just Keith. He wiped the sweat from his brow and countered, “I could ask you the same thing.”

“Couldn’t sleep?”

“Not really,” Shiro shamefully admitted. “I mean, I can some nights, but only for a couple hours. I have…uh, some trouble sleeping.”

Keith knew that the older man had nightmares. Even when they first started as paladins, he could hear Shiro tossing and turning and shouting himself awake in the dead of night. Though Shiro would never admit this weakness, Keith could still sympathize. He’d spent many sleepless nights in the shack imagining the worst possible fates that could have befallen the Kerberos crew. Also on the Castle when his guilt over possessing a Galran blade and discovering his true lineage refused to abate.

He made his way over to Shiro and slung an arm over his broad shoulders. “Come on. Let’s try this together, just like old times.”

The pair made their way back to Shiro’s room, where Keith already knew what to expect. They’d had unauthorized sleepovers as far back as their early Garrison days, when Shiro insisted that Keith could stay in his single room whenever he had trouble with his roommate, which is a nicer way of saying all the time. After years spent orphaned and alone, Keith found something comforting and therapeutic about feeling another body beside him as he slept.

Before Keith could even close the bedroom door, Shiro laid down and huddled as far against the wall as possible, leaving space on the edge for Keith.

This arrangement was different from what Keith was accustomed to. At the Garrison, the pair would wake up contorted into various positions based on how they passed out studying the night before. But on the Castle, after a long day of training or battling, Shiro would always sleep on the outside of the bed facing the door. Keith reasoned that his time as a Galran prisoner must have ingrained in him a need to be as close to the exit as possible while at also being prepared for possible intruders. It was an easy and understandable alteration to their routine.

Now, this change was still something that Keith could logically justify. He had seen Shiro in that strange plane of existence, hovering somewhere between life and death. The emptiness that surrounded them there, beautiful as it was, could only be described as isolating and lonely. After spending months in that place by himself with little to no hope of rescue, Shiro’s needs must have evolved. He didn’t want to be detached or defensive anymore. He needed to feel grounded and secure, between a wall and a body.

Without needing confirmation on his assessment, Keith crawled under the covers next to Shiro and adjusted his position so they were facing each other.

“Is this okay?” Shiro asked gently.

“Of course,” Keith answered. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

Shiro’s face clouded with remorse as he reached up to graze his fingertips lightly over the burn on Keith’s cheek. “I-I know you already said the stuff between us was fine, but I can’t stop feeling like I let you down.”

Keith frowned. “It wasn’t you, Shiro!”

“But I remember it.”

The admission shocked Keith into silence.

Shiro continued, “When Allura transferred my essence into this body, the clone wasn’t entirely gone yet. Haggar’s control was severed, but without that, he was basically just comatose. When I took over, it’s like his consciousness melded into mine. I remember the fight, all the horrible things that he—that _I_ said to you. I remember trying— _wanting_ —to slice you in half. I remember the smell when the blade burned your skin, how you begged me to stop. I remember you…” Shiro trailed off.

Keith finished the thought, “You remember me cutting off your arm.”

“You had to do it,” Shiro asserted. “He would have killed you.”

“But you felt it.”

It wasn’t something that Keith even considered in the moment. After Shiro returned to Earth with the prosthetic replacement, Keith accepted it as part of him almost immediately. But during the fight, it was like the arm had a mind of its own. It became a weapon of destruction, hell bent on embedding itself in Keith’s body and using Shiro to do it. Keith knew that the arm was somehow wired to the nervous system, but it was killing them both. He defended himself and his friend by removing it. The aspect of pain, especially Shiro’s pain, never even occurred to him.

As Keith shamefully pulled away, Shiro gently caught his chin and tilted his head up to maintain eye contact. “You did what was right, Keith. I’m sorry for what happened.”

“You have nothing to apologize for.”

“But, the clone—”

“He didn’t know any better. Haggar didn’t give him a choice.”

Shiro balked in surprise. “How did you know that?”

“Because he was made from you,” Keith reasoned, “and you don’t have it in you to purposefully hurt me or the team. He only did those things because Haggar was controlling him. Right?”

Shiro gave Keith a stunned look before nodding in agreement.

“Then don’t apologize,” Keith said. Mimicking Shiro’s earlier action, he gingerly stroked the scar across the older man’s face. “The only person who should be sorry is Haggar. Once we find her, she’ll pay for what she did to you.”

“Don’t underestimate her,” Shiro warned. “She’ll do whatever it takes to destroy Voltron and I can’t…I-I don’t want you getting hurt for me.”

“It’s not just for you, Shiro. What she did to you is a big part of it, but it’s also for the rest of the universe. It’s for Krolia, and Allura, and the Blades, and everyone whose lives hang in the balance in this war.”

“What about _your_ life?” Shiro questioned with panicked tone. “Haggar knew how important you are to me, that I’m your weakness, and she exploited it. She used me to try to destroy the team and kill you because she knew that you would hesitate to fight back. I’m the weak link in Voltron’s chain.”

“You’re wrong,” Keith argued. “You think that Haggar singled you out as a weakness, but she used you because you’re our _strength_. You are the reason Voltron has survived. You’re the reason we’ve all made it this far.”

“The team can survive without me,” Shiro stated passively.

Keith paused to consider this. Technically, yes, Voltron could, and did, survive without Shiro. Keith flew Black, Lance inherited Red, and Allura filled the void left in Blue. They were admittedly worse off than when Shiro led the team, but Keith was now older, wiser, and more patient which made him a better head than he’d been previously. He already knew that (real) Shiro would never want to undermine his authority, nor would he oust the Princess from her desired position on the team. By all accounts, the team was full, with the former Black Paladin left on the outside. And Shiro already knew this, already accepted it. But Keith refused.

“Yeah, we could go on without you, but I don’t want to,” Keith replied honestly. “Call me selfish, but I refuse to lose you again. You never gave up on me, and I could never give up on you.”

“Even if you should?”

“Even then,” Keith affirmed resolutely. “Someone has to believe in you even when… _especially_ when you give up on yourself. You made me your successor for a reason, right?” Shiro nodded, and Keith continued. “Then trust me when I say that whatever happens, we’ll get through it _together_. I won’t let you down, Shiro.”

The distress written across Shiro’s face settled into a gentleness reserved only for Keith. “You never have,” Shiro commended. “You’re a great leader, Keith. I’m so proud of you.”

Shiro wrapped himself around Keith, tucking the younger man under his chin and into his chest. Keith nosed against his sternum, face awkwardly smashed against the fitted leather harness wrapped across his torso. _Why is he still wearing this thing?_

Shiro must have felt Keith’s discomfort because he loosened his hold. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, just a little uncomfortable,” Keith replied as he fingered the edges of the garment. “Mind taking this thing off?”

Shiro responded with a deep blush. “I…I can’t.”

“What?”

The older paladin drew his hand back and used it to shield his face in embarrassment. “Don’t laugh, okay?”

“Why would I laugh?”

“It-it’s too tight. I can’t pull it off with one arm.”

Keith sat up on his haunches to stare down at his friend in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me? It’s been days since you got back. I could’ve helped.” He motioned for Shiro to sit up and lift his arms.

Shiro grimaced as Keith gracelessly yanked the harness over his head. “What, was I supposed to say, ‘Hey, buddy, mind unleashing me from this BDSM-meets-Padme-looking leather prison?’ Seriously, what was that guy thinking strapping himself into this when you still had my old clothes on board?”

Keith silenced at mention of the clothes, hoping the conversation would be steered in another direction.

“You know,” Shiro said, “I never thought to ask, where did you get those clothes when I first got back to Earth?”

 _Damn it all_.

Shiro continued, “They weren’t mine, I would’ve recognized them. I mean, they were in your shack so you must have owned them, but they weren’t your size. So where’d they come from?”

Realizing Keith’s discomfort, Shiro backtracked. “Actually, y-you don’t have to tell me. It’s not a big deal if you…if another…if someone else left them there. I-It’s not my business to pry—”

“They were my dad’s.”

Shiro paused to fully absorb Keith’s admission. “Oh…oh! Keith, I’m so sorry. We left them on the Castle. They’re gone, they’re…shit, Keith, I-I don’t know what to say.”

The older man knew that Keith’s father was a sore topic to broach. Keith had only shared his origin story after almost two years of friendship, half a bottle of sake, and Shiro airing his own dirty laundry. In an inebriated state, Shiro had confessed about the accident that left him an orphan to be raised by his baachan until her passing shortly after he was accepted into the Garrison. After that, Keith felt the need to match Shiro’s vulnerability by telling him how he never knew his mother, how his dad—the only real family he ever had—died when he was just a boy, how he was passed around so often in foster care that he gained a reputation as a “problem case,” ending with how Shiro helped him escape the system by recruiting him as a pilot-in-training.

“Do you mind if I ask,” Shiro spoke, “why did you give them to me? It’s just that y-you’ve always been a little defensive about your dad.”

Keith had to take a moment to think through his answer. “You came back and…and it was like you were still gone, still stuck in that place. They took your arm, your hair changed from everything they did, and keeping you dressed like a hostage wasn’t helping. I couldn’t just leave you in a prison uniform. My clothes wouldn’t fit you, but you’re about the same size as my dad. Those clothes weren’t doing much good sitting in a dusty drawer, but I knew that you would appreciate them.”

“But they belonged to—”

“As soon as you put them on, they were yours, not his. When Dad died, I remember pulling them out just to look at them and pretend he was still with me. After you crashed back on Earth, you needed them more than I did, so I gave them to you. Then, when you disappeared, I did it all over again. I put them in a drawer and only took them out to feel less lonely. Still, they never compared to the real thing. Each time, all I wanted was to get back the person I loved most. The clothes don’t matter to me because I don’t need them anymore. My dad’s been gone for a long time and I’ve learned to accept that, but you’re still here. That means more to me than any old vest ever could.”

Shiro stared reverently at Keith, absently running his fingers across his face, exploring his features with his touch. “Keith, you…I appreciate all you’ve done for me, even when I don’t deserve it.”

Keith opened his mouth to argue, but Shiro quieted him with a finger over his lips. “You know that I’m not the same person I was before Kerberos. But you’ve always been there for me, even when I thought I was a monster…hell, even when I acted like a monster. You’ve given me everything, so the least I can do is to try and be worth all your effort. I hope to honor you and the sacrifices you’ve made. I promise that I’ll make things right.”

 _You don’t have to do anything except stay by my side_ , Keith wanted to say, but he knew that Shiro would reject that. The older man was feeling guilty and insecure, and if he needed to do something to make himself feel better, who was Keith to deny him that? All he could do is what he’d been doing by standing behind Shiro and catching him should he fall.

“It won’t all get better at once,” Keith said, brushing the forelock out of Shiro’s eyes, “but patience yields focus.”

“Patience yields focus,” Shiro repeated. “I don’t know how to thank you enough, Keith. For the clothes, for the constant support, for saving us both. Thank you.” He pressed his forehead against Keith’s and closed his eyes, finally allowing himself to relax. “It’s good to be back,” he mumbled.

Keith smiled and closed his eyes as well. “It’s good to have you back.”

For a while, they simply laid there and quietly reveled in each other’s presence. Keith was happy to do nothing more than chastely touch the man beside him and feel the puff of exhaled breath against his face to remind himself that Shiro was indeed alive and safe and relatively whole in his embrace.

“Keith,” Shiro whispered through the quiet, “I love you too.”

Keith immediately opened his eyes and reeled back, assuming he’d just misheard the words. “What?”

Shiro beamed at him through half-lidded eyes. “Like I said, I remember our fight. It’s a little hazy because Haggar was the one at the wheel, but I remember you saying that you love me. I-it’s kinda the only thing you said that actually got through to me. And I need you to know that…that I love you back.”

Keith’s entire body tensed and his eyes grew comically wide at the statement. The tidal wave of emotion surging through his body proved strangely complex. It felt like his heart might shoot out through his ribcage and his stomach might empty itself, but he’d be happy over it.

“R-Really?” Keith asked, trying and failing to not sound awestruck.

Suddenly, the smile disappeared from Shiro’s face as he hastily pulled out of their embrace to lay flat on his back and stare at the ceiling. “Of course.” He quickly added, “It’s like Hunk said when we first started all this, we’re _brothers_.”

The emotional whiplash was a quick yet painful, experiencing the high of reciprocation and the gut-punch of rejection all within five seconds. Keith’s heartache was only lessened by the fact that Shiro could no longer look at him, therefore sparing him the humiliation of being seen red-faced and teary eyed.

He should have known better than to let his guard down while in such a compromising position, but he couldn’t help but be transparent with Shiro. He had long ago stopped trying to mask his emotions or mince words around the older pilot. This had helped Keith maintain their friendship in the past, but now it cost him. Shiro knew about his foolish crush. He could see it in Keith’s expectant expression and desperate tone. And he didn’t feel the same way.

“W-We should get to sleep,” Shiro stuttered awkwardly, rolling over to completely face the wall. “Goodnight, Keith.”

“…Goodnight, Shiro.”

As Keith began to roll away, the older man reached back and caught his wrist. He pulled Keith’s arm over himself and shuffled closer until they could feel the heat radiating off each other’s bodies.

Keith knew that Shiro was just throwing him a bone by pretending nothing happened. He knew that this loving action was rooted pity, but at the moment he couldn’t bring himself to care. Keith pressed his body flush against Shiro’s back, spooning him from behind as he tangled their legs together. He wrapped his arm tighter around the older man, feeling the rise and fall of his chest as his breathing slowed until he finally drifted to sleep. Keith, on the other hand, was wide awake, watching over his friend and monitoring the heartbeat under his palm for any signs of distress. After a while, Keith let himself drift as well.

He knew it was selfish. He knew that Shiro didn’t love him the way he wanted to be loved. He knew that acting on his feelings like this would only cause more embarrassment and heartbreak. He knew that he had already done what was needed of him and that he should leave Shiro to sleep soundly. But Keith couldn’t bring himself to stop indulging in Shiro’s presence. So he ignored the hollow ache of his own tattered heart and huddled closer to the other man, nosing the back of his neck.

Just for tonight, he could pretend he had everything he wanted.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Shiro was wearing his Paladin armor last we saw him, but I saw [this art](https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/velowsa/163972504197) by velowsa a while back and have never been able to unsee it. It inspired me to dress Shiro in civvies for this fic because it’s hilarious and flows better into the conversation about Keith’s dad’s clothes.


	3. Red and Blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter took a long time because I was trying not to make it so salty. But after spending hours scrolling through hate on the Sheith tag on Tumblr, I figured why not just vent my frustrations.
> 
> Also, I split this chapter to update faster. The final installment will be short and uploaded before season 7 comes out.

Keith stayed with Shiro all night watching over the older man as he peacefully slept. When the sun rose, Keith left him and quietly—despite what Lance “Light Sleeper” McClain might argue about “door slamming”—slipped back into his own room where he laid awake the rest of the night listening to Lance’s labored snoring.

As the sun rose, he was up again and ready to distract himself from his fresh heartbreak by taking a walk around the palace. Once Keith was properly dressed, Lance woke and insisted on going with him. When Keith pointed out that walking was not a group participation activity, Lance ignored him and threw on his clothes. He could have outright objected, but they’d had an actual memorable bonding moment last night, so Keith let it go and waited for Lance before heading out.

They were walking down the corridor when they heard some commotion from the dining area. As they entered, they came to the conclusion that they should have never gotten out of bed today.

The entire room had been transformed into an auditorium split down the middle by an aisle leading to an elegant arch. The alien hosts were flitting about, setting up chairs and decorations. Specifically, red and blue decorations. The colors bled out of every corner of the room, from the tablecloths to the flowers to the seat cushions to the extremely extravagant robes that hung off the archway in almost the exact positions where two people would stand to be married.

“Dude,” Lance whispered, “what the fuck?”

“I don’t know,” Keith replied.

“No, seriously, what the actual fuck?!”

“I don’t fucking know!”

Their voices attracted the attention of the alien leader, who was busy attempting to direct traffic amongst the chaos. “Ah, the grooms have arrived,” she announced. “You two were not supposed to awaken for another varga. I wanted the ceremony to be a surprise.”

The paladins stared at her, their jaws dropped as far as the joint would allow.

As always, Lance was the first to speak. “Hold up! What’s happening? Why does this place look like my hermanita’s wedding Pinterest board?”

The alien smiled. “We are so pleased to see two beautiful men like yourselves together, and we want to help you in your journey by officially bonding you to each other. There is no need to thank us.”

“Oh, we won’t,” Keith sneered.

Leader cocked her head. “Is the room not to your standards? We can move over to the ballroom, but I hoped to use that for the reception.”

“Lance and I are not a couple!”

She seemed taken aback before snorting, “Of course you are. Two handsome men who once formed the same side of Voltron before becoming the other’s right hand? You are meant to be together.”

Lance balked, “What?! No we’re not! Mullet and I are friends sometimes! That’s it!”

“Hm, it seems that even you two have denied the natural progression of your inevitable relationship.”

“Natural…what?!” Lance shouted. “The only relationship we have is as rivals!”

“Not even that,” Keith added. “He’s just a jerk to me!”

Leader shook her head. “No, I can see the signs. You two are soulmates. You belong together and I have decided to help you in any way I can.”

“By forcing us to get married?” Keith asked incredulously.

“By ensuring that the two of you are bonded as you should be, reaffirming your love for one another and securing a stability that nothing will come between.”

“What’s going on in here?” a small voice echoed from behind. Keith turned to face a recently woken Pidge, whose sleep-rimmed eyes blearily glanced over the ostentatious decorations around her. “Am I still asleep? What kind of sick dream is this?”

“Pidgeon, thank god!” Lance cheered as he swooped down to embrace the small girl. “Tell this lady that Keith and I aren’t a couple.”

Pidge wordlessly ogled him for a solid ten seconds before responding, “Okay, yeah, now I know I’m dreaming.” She pinched herself on the arm and looked genuinely surprised to still be present at the scene. “Strange, that usually works.”

Lance shook the girl by her shoulders. “Pidge, this is serious! They want us to get married!”

At this declaration, Pidge pushed the glasses up the bridge of her nose to take a closer look at the red and blue décor entombing them. When her eyes landed on the arch, she finally seemed to understand. “Holy quiznak! You guys _are_ getting married!”

“Who’s getting married?” Hunk’s voice chimed in as he entered the room with Allura, Coran, Matt, and Krolia in tow.

_Oh, great. More for the peanut gallery_.

“They want Keith and Lance to get married,” Pidge explained.

“Ha, good one, Pidge,” Hunk replied before taking in the room. “Holy quiznak!”

“That’s what I said!”

Coran stroked his mustache in thought. “Numbers three and four? Huh, I never suspected. I’m usually quite good at noticing these sorts of things.”

“My son is getting married? And…to this one?” Krolia questioned, gesturing to Lance.

“Yes,” Leader replied firmly.

More aggressive gesturing. “This one, right here? Where I’m pointing?”

“Of course.”

“…The _blue_ one?”

“Hey! I’m a prize!” Lance asserted.

Keith elbowed his unsolicited fiancé in the side. “Not the time!”

“No, now is the time to figure out their couple name,” Pidge teased.

“Pidge,” Keith warned.

“Hm, Klance?” Matt offered. “Or maybe Laith?”

“Aww,” Hunk cooed, “Laith.”

Lance shouted, “Hunk! You too?”

“Sorry, it just sounds so soft and cute.”

“Hunk’s right,” Pidge decreed. “Klance sounds too harsh. Laith it is!”

“This is not funny,” Keith argued.

Matt shrugged. “I dunno, it’s pretty funny from the outside.”

Lance scoffed. “Well, I’m living it, so I’m with Mullet! Help now, laugh later.”

The alien leader widened her smug smile. “With no objections, I say that we move forward. The paladins are to be bonded in a sacred ceremony which will twine their life forces together. They will belong to each other for all eternity.”

“Hang on a tick,” Allura loudly protested before straightening out into something more diplomatic. “Please accept our apology for the confusion, but these two are not in a relationship. They simply did not know how to reject your offer of the single room without offending you. I understand if you feel we have misled you, but the real reason that we are here is to receive your aide in maintaining Voltron’s power over the Galra by joining the Coalition and finding a machine part. Once we have secured those things, we can be on our way.”

Leader sighed, “I do not understand what is so difficult about this. The two paladins are clearly meant to be together. We are only attempting to accelerate fate before the destitute paladin attempts to unjustly usurp the love which belongs to another.”

Keith felt his heart skip a beat. _She knows. How could she know?_

Matt pondered her criticisms. “‘Destitute paladin?’ Are you talking about Shiro?”

“Shiro,” Leader repeated with a sneer. “The man has no claim on this union. He will not be allowed to stop what we have seen and put in motion.”

Hunk scrunched his face in thought. “Wait, what does Shiro have to do with anything?”

And, like Beetlejuice, Shiro seemed to materialize at the third mention of his name. The Black Paladin turned the corner and stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of panicked friends, scowling aliens, and a room decorated like the Fourth of July. “Uh, am I interrupting something?”

“In fact, you are,” the alien leader snarled. She clapped twice, apparently a sign for her guards to surround Shiro. “Escort this man back to his quarters, where he will reside for the remainder of the ceremony.”

Keith shoved one of the guards out of the way and stood in front of his friend. “You can’t do that! Shiro didn’t do anything!”

“He lured you into his room and attempted to seduce you.”

Shiro’s eyes widened at the accusation. “N-No,” he stammered, “I wouldn’t—I-I’d never…Keith just gave me a haircut!”

Leader shook her head. “You were seen embracing him, touching him against his will.”

“It was a hug!” Keith explained. “And it wasn’t against my will.”

“Yeah, they hug all the time,” Hunk defended. “It’s kinda their thing.”

“The Black Paladin?” Krolia questioned, giving Shiro the once-over. “That makes far more sense. My son inherited my taste in men.”

Lance must have noticed Keith gaping at the implication of Krolia’s words because he tried to deflect on his behalf. “No no no, that’s just normal friendship stuff,” Lance nervously chuckled. “Nothing romantical about hugging, no, sir. Just BFF things, amiright?”

_Overselling it, dipstick_ , Keith thought, shooting daggars at Lance. But he couldn’t be too mad. At least he was trying to keep Keith’s embarrassing crush under wraps from the rest of the team.

Still, Leader wasn’t buying it. “I have seen how the former paladin looks at you,” she chided. “You can see it in his eyes. Despicable, lusting after his own brother.”

“‘Lusting?’” Hunk questioned.

“‘Brother?’” Krolia chimed in. “They’re not related.”

“But they are similar looking.”

“I don’t see how,” Coran replied. “One is shaped like a large triangle, and the other is more like a Q-tip.”

“Their facial features are too alike.”

“We’re Asian!” Keith shouted.

Pidge commented, “Yeah, and it’s kinda racist for you to assume they’re related just because of that. I mean, Allura and Coran are both Altean but that doesn’t mean they’re father and daughter.”

“Excellent point, number five,” Coran agreed.

“Wow, Pidge,” Hunk remarked. “You’re actually helping instead of joking?”

“Yeah, this stopped being funny a while ago,” Pidge said. “We’ve now officially entered the territory of Certifiably Insane.”

“I still don’t understand what’s happening,” Shiro muttered mostly to himself.

“This crazy lady is trying to marry me off to Mullet,” Lance explained, flapping his arms dramatically.

“She’s also worried about the nature of your relationship with Keith,” Matt added with an unreadable expression yet oddly knowing tone.

This seemed to push Shiro into action. He turned to face Leader directly. “Look, Keith and Lance clearly don’t want this to happen, so the wedding is off. And, not that it’s any of your business, but Keith and I have known each other for years, longer than we’ve known the others. Our friendship is more intimate because of it.”

Before Keith could blush about Shiro’s remark on their ‘intimacy,’ Leader pursed her lips. “I see. You grew up together, just as brothers would. Therefore your relationship is still unsavory.”

Keith snapped, “We’re not in a relationship! But neither are me and Lance!”

“This is clearly all just a misunderstanding,” Allura tried to reason.

“No,” Leader insisted, “this is fate. Destiny brought Voltron here, where the love between the two paladins could be recognized and celebrated.”

“Sorry to interrupt your raging insanity,” Pidge interposed, “but why do you think that Lance and Keith should be together?”

“The signs of the universe,” the alien answered, as if it was the simplest thing to comprehend.  

“Uh, yeah, you’re gonna have to be a little more specific,” Hunk insisted.

Leader straightened her posture and began her descent down the rabbit hole. “As I stated previously, you two have come a long way in your relationship.”

“There is no relationship,” Lance groaned.

“You are his right hand,” Leader contended. “That is a far cry from being rivals as you once were. Your close bond spells a deep connection that can only be explained by romantic intent.”

“We’re not close,” Keith argued. “We haven’t even spoken to each other in months! Years for me! Last night was probably the third time we were actually alone together, including our time on Earth!”

“But you are devoted,” the alien maintained. “Why else would he readily accept you as his leader after the former Black Paladin’s disappearance? He trusts you implicitly.”

Lance crossed his arms defensively. “Well, actually…”

“He didn’t trust me! He trusted the Black Lion,” Keith clarified. “Before that he would’ve rather taken orders from one of Allura’s mice. And he made a huge deal about everyone testing their bond with Black just to make sure no one else could pilot her.”

“I’m sure that wasn’t personal,” Shiro tried to comfort.

“No, it pretty much was,” Lance confirmed. “No offence to Mullet or anything, but Shiro left some pretty big shoes to fill.”

“Oh, and you thought you were big enough to fill them?” Keith questioned.

“I considered it!”

Leader gestured to their dispute. “Do you not see? This rivalry is merely an expression of your unspoken attraction to one another.”

“Ah, yes, antagonizing and criticizing each other,” Matt deadpanned, “the peak of romance.”

Pidge nodded. “Hate to break it to you, but the concept of a boy pulling a girl’s pigtails because he likes her is kinda outdated on Earth. Mutual animosity isn’t a great foundation for a healthy relationship.”

Still, the alien leader was adamant. “Yet their love has blossomed. When you arrived, the new Red Paladin was standing at the right side of the new Black Paladin, just as he is meant to be the Black Paladin’s right-hand man. It was symbolic of their affections for each other.”

Lance gawked at her analysis. “Are you freakin’ kidding me?! You’re reasoning is that we were standing next to each other?! Keith was literally holding Shiro in a bridal carry when we got here!”

“His legs were weak,” Keith defended, noticing the intense blush overtaking Shiro’s cheeks.

Leader continued, “And as you were entering the palace, you bowed to your intended and allowed him ahead of you out of respect.”

“I was being an asshole!” Lance shouted. “I said that I was respecting my elders!”

“Elder? But you and the Black Paladin are so young. That is why the former paladin preying on your lover is so disgraceful. He is far too old for such illicit behavior.”

“I’m twenty-one!” Keith stated angrily.

“Yeah,” Pidge added, “and Shiro’s only six!”

“Not helping, Katie,” Shiro muffled into the hand covering his face in shame.

Ignoring Shiro’s embarrassment, Lance yelled, “And I’m seventeen!”

“Not even legally allowed to marry on Earth,” Hunk pointed out.

Lance gasped, “Quiznak, I’m a child bride!”

“Nonsense,” Leader replied. “You have been through so much and matured through everything thrown at you. Your heroism and fortitude in the face of imminent danger is nothing short of inspiring. You are no child, Lance.”

“Okay, then let us go,” Keith demanded. “If you think we’re adults, then let us make our own decision about this.”

Leader looked down at Keith with a pitiful expression. She spoke slowly and calmly, “You know not what you say, paladin. You are far too impressionable to make such choices on your own. We have seen that this marriage would be best for you, so that is what will occur.”

Keith couldn’t stop his eye from twitching in frustration. “Wait, so Lance gets to be treated like an adult, and I get coddled like an infant? For fuck’s sake, we just went over this, I’m older than him!”

“Still, you are far too young to engage in a romance with your former leader.”

Keith stammered, “I-I never said th-that I wanted…Shiro is—”

“The former paladin is not unattractive,” Leader amended. “He surely must have someone special in his life. Preferably someone more age appropriate.”

Clearly, Leader had not meant this to be a rhetorical question, as all eyes turned to Shiro. “I mean, n-not really, actually,” he answered with a deep blush. “I’ve dated some, but nothing stuck.”

“So, there were people you felt attraction towards? Then it is settled. You do not need to steal the affections of the new Black Paladin, not with your love waiting back on your home planet.”

“He just said that there’s no one,” Matt defended. “Having a few exes doesn’t mean he’s out of the running for another relationship.”

“And he’s not stealing anything!” Lance reiterated. “Keith and I are not a couple!”

“What about the stories we have heard?” Leader inquired. “The ones about the unbreakable bond between two paladins surviving numerous trials such as separation and betrayal?”

“Uh, that’s probably these two,” Hunk stated gesturing to Keith and Shiro. “You know, get abducted by aliens, rescue each other back on Earth, die and come back to life, throw a clone into the mix. That kinda stuff is pretty regular for them.”

“Well,” Leader huffed, “brothers can certainly do those things as well.”

“Hang on,” Pidge butted in, rubbing her temples in frustration, “so if Lance is the one Keith saves, it’s romantic. But if Shiro is the one being saved, it’s familial. That’s ridiculous! You can’t have two different conclusions when the context is exactly the same, just with a different person.”

“But we also read reviews of your Voltron shows. They stated that the Red Paladin could not keep his eyes off of Keith. That is decidedly romantic.”

“That’s because ‘Keith’ was being played by Allura,” Coran explained.

 Leader looked dumbfounded. “Lance and Allura? How does that make sense?”

“Because I like Allura!” Lance exploded.

The aliens gasped in surprise. “Oh, come on,” Lance shouted back at them, “it’s not like I was ever secretive about it!”

Leader looked at the princess then back at Lance. “That is as unlikely as it is unacceptable. Surely Allura would not tolerate being disrespected like that.”

“How is having a crush disrespectful?” Shiro defended the blushing Lance.

“Because the princess is not a prize to be won.”

“Oh, but I am?” Keith scoffed.

“And I am offended at your accusations,” Allura added. “You assume that I am so stringent and emotionless that I would presume Lance’s feelings to be nothing more than superficial. But I know Lance. He’s a strong, brave, gallant paladin with a heart larger than a Balmera. Your minimization and disregard for his true feelings proves that you don’t know or care about him at all.”

Leader’s gaze sharply turned to a glare. “We care more for him than you do,” she accused. “You have stifled his potential to grow by refusing to accept his budding romance with his partner.”

Allura argued, “Lance has grown! This so-called relationship you are trying to force has nothing to do with his maturation. When we first met, I’ll admit, I thought he was a bit juvenile and flippant. But he has become an irreplaceable part of our team. You were right when you said that all he’s gone through has made him a better person, and I recognize and respect that.”

“Yet you still refuse to acknowledge his sexuality.”

“When did I ever say that I was attracted to this?!” Lance questioned, gesturing exaggeratedly at Keith.

“And Lance has always been girl-crazy,” Hunk stated.

“You cannot put his orientation in a box,” Leader protested. “He can also be attracted to men.”

Shiro angrily replied, “Of course he could, but you can’t just say that he ‘ _also_ ’ likes men then completely disregard the fact that he’s interested in women too. Bisexuality isn’t a tool for your personal use!”

Leader scoffed, “Why should you get any say in this conversation, former paladin? You have no relevance to this topic.”

“Shiro’s gay,” Matt stated. “If anyone gets a voice in this, it’s him.”

“Not if he refuses to substantiate our perspective,” Leader insisted.

“Uh, he has real-life experience on this,” Pidge spoke up. “His knowledge trumps your bias.”

“And _my_ knowledge!” Lance interjected. “I’m not interested in Keith like that!”

“Ditto,” Keith agreed.

Much to Keith’s embarrassment, Hunk added, “And why does it matter anyway? Keith could be interested in anyone, Shiro included, and it wouldn’t make a difference to the rest of us. So why does it matter to you?”

Leader’s face scrunched up angrily before softening with a sigh. “We are merely trying to protect those more vulnerable to the sights of such a distressing coupling,” she argued. “Children do not need to see such a thing when there is another far more palatable pairing available.”

“In what world is it ‘distressing’ for two adults to be in a healthy, consensual relationship?” Pidge asked.

Leader couldn’t suppress her scowl. “You have already said that they knew each other years ago, when one was underage, practically being raised by the other. It is unseemly.”

“Well, he’s not underage now,” Pidge argued. “By that logic, I could never date anyone I meet before I turn eighteen because they’re ‘practically my parent.’ That’s just insane!”

“Bite your tongue, ingrate,” Leader hissed, “before I cut it out!”

Matt interjected, “Hey, you can’t talk to my sister like that!”

“Are you seriously threatening someone just to make them agree with you?” Hunk balked. “No, hang on, are you seriously threatening a _child_ just to make her agree with you? I thought you were all about protecting kids?”

“Hunk, stop trying to reason with them,” Lance stated. “Let’s just go.”

“You ought to be ashamed of yourselves,” Leader chastised. “We will not support a team who refuses to validate what we know to be true.”

Lance shrugged. “Okay, bye!” He took a step towards the exit, but was blocked by an alien guard.

“How dare you refuse us!” Leader screeched. “By contesting and undermining our authority, you have declared war!”

“Your authority over what?” Coran argued. “Over the decisions of others? Over something to which you have no claim? Over the right to alter reality to suit your own desires?”

“We alter nothing! It is our truth, therefore it is fact!”

Pidge scoffed, “No, it’s not! That is the very definition of an opinion!”

“We have seen that two paladins are meant to be together,” Leader insisted through gritted teeth. “Based on what we know, it must be the Red and Black Paladins.”

“Original or remix?” Matt jokingly asked.

Leader’s frown deepened. “We want a paladin marriage, and we will secure one by any means necessary.”

Lance had had enough. “Look, if you want two paladins to get hitched so badly, here!” He threw Keith bodily against Shiro and shoved them forward. “Have at ‘em!”

“No,” Leader growled.

“Why not? They have history, chemistry, and genuine affection for each other. You want a paladin relationship, we’re giving it to you!”

“Those are not the paladins we wish to see wed!”

“Well, why does it have to be us?!”

“I mean,” Hunk interjected, “you guys would make an adorable couple.”

Lance threw his arms up dramatically. “Because we’re hot! We’re hot people, Hunk! Together, we’re hotness-squared! That doesn’t mean we have to go on hot dates or get married and have hot-squared babies! There’s plenty of hot fish in the sea!”

“I know,” Hunk amended, “but look around us. These guys clearly appreciate seeing beautiful things. Of course they’re gonna latch onto you guys.”

It was at this moment that Keith came to a realization. He turned to face Leader and shouted, “Are you fucking serious? You want us to get together just so you can watch two pretty-boy twinks make out?”

Lance poked his chest. “Hey, who’re you calling a twink? I’m a stud and you know it.”

“Paladins,” Allura implored, “could we focus, please?”

“You don’t care about a paladin relationship or propriety,” Keith stated, stomping towards Leader angrily. “All you care about is indulging your fetish!”

“That is enough!” Leader screeched, raising her arm up to smash down on the smaller man in front of her.

Keith was too close, he could do nothing but brace himself and wait for the hit to land. But it never did. Keith felt a pull on his entire body, and suddenly found himself across the room. At his side was his loyal space wolf, gazing up at him as if asking if he was alright. When Keith nodded, Comet apparated over to Shiro and growled menacingly at the aliens still surrounding him.

Even with the wolf, Keith knew that Team Voltron was outmatched. They were unarmed, dressed in civvies, and low in numbers—all things that the aliens were not. Krolia must have realized the same thing, because she grabbed Allura’s bayard from the princess’s side and put it in front of Comet’s face.

“Fetch,” she ordered.

At that, Comet disappeared from the room, only to reappear every few seconds next to each paladin to drop their bayards at their feet.

_Oh, so he fetches for her_ , Keith irritably thought. Though he couldn’t stay bitter once Comet again appeared by his side, bayard clenched between his teeth.

“Good boy,” Keith praised, taking the bayard and patting the wolf on his head. Satisfied, Comet apparated back to Shiro’s side and readied himself for the fight.

Keith powered up his bayard and charged. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler: There will be no fight scene (but we will see the aftermath) because I am bad at writing action. It’s the same reason I didn’t have an obligatory sparring session between Shiro and Keith as I planned. Sorry to those who wanted it, but be grateful that I would not put you through the torture of reading my terrible action commentary.
> 
> Krolia’s “the blue one?” comment is a direct reference to Red vs Blue S12E4 “Teaming with Problems,” where Simmons says the same line to Smith regarding Caboose.
> 
> Also, I know that this chapter makes me sound like I’m against Klance. I’m not! I’m always a sucker for an enemies-to-lovers storyline, and they are aesthetically cute together. What I am against are Klantis and the flawed logic they use to validate Klance by waging war on other ships.
> 
> On a related note, I have never met a Laith shipper (someone who ships Keith and Lance, but changed the ship name to avoid association with Klantis) who wasn’t awesome and approachable, so I gave them a shout out.


	4. Black and Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not entirely satisfied with this chapter, but I wanted to finish this fic before season 7 came out TOMORROW!

“Man, those guys were dicks,” Lance complained as he limped away from the palace, which had barred its doors behind them as they left.

“Good thing Comet can teleport,” Pidge stated, “or Lance and Keith would probably be held hostage on their space honeymoon by now.”

Lance rolled his eyes and groaned, “Ugh, don’t remind me.”

Keith could hardly even believe what just happened. One moment, he’s being married off to Lance, and in the next, the team is in an all-out brawl with their alien hosts. Team Voltron won, barely, and was rewarded with the machine part they needed (which the aliens had collected and hidden away) as well as a worldwide blacklist. Leader gave them one varga to vacate the planet before reorganizing her troops and attacking again. Granted, she was stomping her feet like a petulant child at the time, but Keith believed she meant to follow through on her threats. They all figured it was best to leave before being subject to another one of the alien’s violent tantrums. So here they were, packed up and ready to head out once more.

“Hunk,” Krolia said, “is there any room on the Yellow Lion for me and Comet?”

Hunk’s eyes widened. “Uh, of course! Can’t promise I won’t try and steal him from you, though.”

Krolia smiled slightly as Comet ran circles around the Yellow Paladin. “I would expect nothing less.”

“Aren’t you going with Keith and Shiro in the Black Lion?” Allura asked.

“No,” Krolia answered bluntly. “They’ll need privacy to discuss their relationship.”

Keith choked at her words. “That’s not…there’s nothing to talk about,” he protested.

“Actually,” Shiro stated, “there is.”

Time seemed to stop around the dumbfounded Keith. This was it, the moment he hadn’t prepared for. He already knew that the remaining leg of the trip would be awkward and embarrassing, as the rest of the team was now aware of his hopelessly one-sided infatuation, but he at least thought Krolia could act as a buffer against Shiro.

“We should talk,” Shiro insisted, “to clear the air.”

Keith nearly laughed out loud at that. He thought last night’s rejection had cleared enough of the air. But now he’d have to suffer through it again, and with everyone waiting on stand-by for the ball to drop.

“Do we have to, though?” Keith asked dejectedly. “It’s just…things are fine as they are. Nothing has to change. You already made things clear last night.”

Shiro’s eyes widened at his statement. “Keith, I-I’m not so sure what to make of anything anymore. I thought I did, but now I really need to be sure of what you want. I thought that…you said I was your brother.”

It took every ounce of strength to look Shiro in the eye and say what had been brewing in his heart for days. “I thought you were,” Keith confessed. “I’ve never had a brother, no family, no friends. And then I met you, and you changed everything.”

He could already feel his confidence wavering, but with Shiro giving him his undivided attention, Keith couldn’t stop now if he wanted to. He’d always been the type to leap before looking anyway, so why stop now?

Keith continued, “What we have, it felt like something on the tip of my tongue—” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lance open his mouth to make an undoubtedly vulgar comment, which was silenced by Hunk slapping his hand over the offending orifice. “—something that I couldn’t quite say because I didn’t know the context for it yet. But I do now. I love you. And I mean that in every sense of the word. As a friend, as a leader, as a brother, as something more. You’re my everything. I’m in love with you, Takashi.”

Keith wasn’t gonna lie, it hurt that Shiro just stood there in stunned silence after he’d bared his soul, even if it was expected. Keith closed his eyes in defeat, knowing that he didn’t deserve someone like Shiro, someone so inherently good and heroic. But at least the older man would still want to be friends. He had promised never to abandon Keith and he always kept that promise, even when the world seemed to be against them. Shiro had continued being his friend when they first met despite Keith pushing him away. He returned from Kerberos by escaping the clutches of a hostile alien regime and traveling across the galaxy. He bandaged and comforted Keith after the Trials of Marmora, despite knowing that Keith shared the heritage of the monsters that tortured and abused him. Hell, he played ding-dong-ditch at death’s fucking door and still found a way to come back to Keith. It would take more than a stupid love confession to make him run away…right?

The downward spiral of thoughts was halted by a familiar hand on his shoulder. When Keith looked up, he realized that Shiro had stepped closer to him, erasing the space that separated them. The expression on his perfect face was glowing, eyes shining with unshed tears and smile so bright it was close to blinding.

“Keith…I…m-me too. I mean, I-I’m in love with you too.”

“Really?!” Keith balked. “You…but you said it too, that we’re brothers!”

Shiro grimaced. “I panicked! Last night, when I told you I loved you back, you looked shocked, like I said something wrong and…I was just trying to save face.”

Keith felt the tightness in his chest easing, though his heartrate continued to skyrocket. “So, you like me? For real? Since when?”

Shiro chuckled nervously. “Do you remember the day I got back to the Garrison after those weeks training for Kerberos?”

“The day before your mission launched.”

Shiro nodded. “Before that, I underestimated how much you meant to me. But when I took some time away, I realized how much I missed you. It felt like more than just friendship, but I refused to dwell on it because I still pictured you as the same stubborn kid I recruited out of high school.  Then, when I got back, I finally saw how much you’d grown.”

“Why didn’t you tell me back then?”

“It would have been selfish,” Shiro asserted, “dropping that kind of bomb on you only to flee to the edge of the solar system right after. At worst, I would’ve broken your trust beyond repair. At best, we’d set a new world record for long-distance dating. Even then, it would’ve been inappropriate. You were barely legal, and I was your senior officer. People would say that…people would gossip about us.”

“People already gossiped about us,” Keith replied. “He’d frequently heard the not-so-veiled remarks from his peers, speculating on how he managed to destroy every record at the Garrison despite being so green. Some said he was turning tricks in exchange for private lessons from officers, while others said he simply whored himself out for a rigged simulator. He always turned the other cheek, never really caring what was said about him, but then someone brought Shiro into it. They dared to try and tarnish Shiro’s name and reputation with jealous lies. Shiro was the only person since his father to actually give a damn about him, so Keith had to protect him. After sending the group of gossiping cadets to the infirmary, whispers that the Garrison’s charity case was fucking Golden Boy Shirogane for tutoring sessions spread like wildfire.

Shiro argued back, “But those rumors would’ve been taken far more seriously because they’d be rooted in fact! Keith, you’re the best pilot to come out of the Garrison. I didn’t want anyone to think you didn’t earn your place there. I wasn’t going to let my feelings get in the way of your future.”

As Keith tried to wrap his head around this newfound knowledge, Shiro chuckled sadly, “Besides, I thought you knew. After all that time spent together on the Castle, I thought you knew how I felt and were trying to let me down easy by not even acknowledging it. By ignoring my feelings the same way you procrastinated on your physics homework because you didn’t want to have to deal with it.”

“I didn’t know! How could I have known?”

“He wasn’t exactly subtle,” Matt chimed in. “Don’t you remember? He could barely even look at you without his eyes threatening to pop out of his skull. Plus, you gave him a bloody nose.”

“Like in an anime?” Hunk asked.

“Like Keith bent over to fish something out of his bag and Shiro got so distracted staring at his ass that he ran face-first into a wall,” Matt corrected.

Shiro flushed at the memory. “You caught that, huh?”

“I also caught how you forgot the entire English language when Keith stripped the literal shirt off his back to stop the bleeding,” Matt ribbed. “You’re a man of many talents, Shirogane but subtlety is not one of them.”

“Well, apparently, my behavior could’ve been brotherly,” Shiro teased.

“Ah, yes,” Pidge remarked sarcastically, “I too stare longingly at my brother’s face and ass.”

Matt gagged, “Ew, don’t even joke about that or I’m telling Mom!”

“You had me fooled,” Keith tried to comfort Shiro.

Pidge scoffed, “Because you’re almost as oblivious as Lance when it comes to the lovey-dovey crap.”

“I am not!” Keith refuted, as Lance muffled some angry words into Hunk’s palm—probably something about not being oblivious, but really, if the shoe fits…

“Keith, I say this because I care about you, you were pretty blind,” Allura agreed with the Holts, “even to your own feelings.”

As Keith opened his mouth to argue, Pidge interrupted, “Don’t take it personally. It’s a common side effect of emotional constipation.”

Hunk shrugged. “Yeah, I guess I could kinda see it too. You were always overprotective, and Shiro was so blushy and awkward around you.”

“And I predicted it as well,” Coran stated. “In the end of the Voltron show, Shiro ends up with the princess. And since Allura is Keith, Keith would be Allura! Oh, this would make a wonderful final act to the production!”

“Yeah, you’re a genius, Coran,” Matt deadpanned.

Keith laughed while Shiro ducked down to hide his face against Keith’s shoulder. As he stood back up straight, he leaned in closer to touch their foreheads together. Keith closed his eyes, allowing himself to revel in the moment.

“I never thought this would be real,” Shiro confessed.

Keith replied, “Sorry you had to wait so long.”

“God, I wish I’d known sooner,” Shiro whispered, “but you were worth the wait. Even just being your friend, it would always be worth it.”

As his hand rose to cup Keith’s face, the younger paladin nuzzled into the touch. “I wish I’d known sooner too,” Keith admitted.

Shiro leaned forward, nosing at the mark on Keith’s cheek as Keith held his breath in anticipation. Then Shiro remembered their audience on the sidelines and faltered. “I also wish we were someplace more private for this.”

“You’re doing fine,” Pidge interjected. “Pretend we’re not even here!”

As Hunk used his free hand to stop that word train, Keith made a mental note to build that man a kitchen as a thank you.

Shiro laughed, his breath gently blowing the loose strands of hair out of Keith’s eyes. The older man was so close that Keith could practically feel the ghostly brush of lips against his own. It was agonizing to wait for Shiro to make a move.

 _Patience_ , Keith reminded himself. _Have some self-control_.

Unfortunately, Shiro had the exact same idea of showing restraint. When Keith didn’t initiate anything, he pulled away, face entirely flushed, and stuttered, “W-We’d, um, better get going.”

_You know what? Fuck self-control!_

Before Shiro could take another step, Keith gripped the collar of his shirt, pulled him down, and slammed their lips together. The kiss was uncoordinated and clumsy, nothing more than the crashing pressure of puckered lips and colliding noses, but Keith couldn’t bring himself to see it as anything less than perfect. He felt the older man smile against his mouth before taking control. Shiro returned the affection, guiding Keith by softening the kiss and angling the younger man’s face into a more comfortable position. Despite how long they continued like that, the kiss itself remained tame, just the gentle caress of Shiro’s lips over his, hands running through Keith’s hair. Finally, they pulled back for breath, looking each other in the eyes and beaming.

“Woohoo!” Coran cheered, as Matt and Allura shared a “Finally!”

Beside them, Hunk gathered Lance and Pidge into a strange combination of a headlock and loving embrace. “That was beautiful,” he whimpered, tears already forming in his eyes.

Krolia, on the other hand, seemed distracted by something in the background. “Yes, it’s precious,” she added tersely, though not unkindly. “But we really should be getting off-world. I think they’re readying another attack.”

That seemed to snap everyone out of the moment. They quickly split up to get to their own lions, with Coran muttering something about how a Voltron wedding would be great promo for the Coalition.

As Keith trailed after them, he paused to glace at Krolia, who stood at the entrance to Yellow and was fixing him with a strange yet familiar expression. He’d seen this look all the time when they were traveling through the Quantum Abyss, whenever she’d witness one of Keith’s memories. It was a combination of guilt over not being present for the important moments—both good and bad—in his life, but also pride at seeing him overcome the odds and accomplish his goals in spite of all he’d been through. Keith supposed that this moment was no different. Krolia was sad that her child was growing up so fast, but at the same time was happy to finally be there to see it in person.

“Mrs. Keith-uh-Galra-Krolia-ma’am,” Hunk stammered, “did you change your mind about riding with me?”

Krolia never took her eyes off her son when she replied, “No, I’ll be right behind you.”

As Hunk led Comet into the cockpit, Krolia continued looking back at her son, all grown up and in love. They reminded her so much of herself and Keith’s father. And she knew that if Shiro was even half he man her husband was, she had nothing to worry about.

Keith saw the corners of Krolia’s mouth upturn as she gave him an encouraging nod, a silent approval of his choice. At his side, Shiro also noticed her staring. Krolia gave him a nod as well, and he responded with an awkward little wave.

Krolia snorted then followed Hunk’s path into the Yellow Lion. Shiro, meanwhile, seemed frozen in place, hand still raised as he contemplated every moment of his life that led to him being such an embarrassment to himself. Keith smiled reverently and grabbed that hand to drag his boyfriend into the Black Lion.

“Oh my god,” Shiro cried after entering the cockpit, “your mom probably thinks I’m an idiot!”

“Not your smoothest move,” Keith admitted, “but if she didn’t like you, she’d tell you.”

“So that’s where you get it from,” Shiro commented.

Keith playfully shoved him before Shiro pulled him back for one more peck on the lips, gazing down at him in pure adoration.

“I’m just glad that _you_ like me,” Shiro said.

“I _love_ you,” Keith corrected.

“I love you too.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Land ho!” Coran called out over the shared frequency.

Keith stared out the cockpit toward the familiar blue and green planet straight ahead. They were finally home. As they made their descent into Earth’s atmosphere, Keith felt the signature hand on his shoulder, a silent promise that everything would be alright.

They docked close enough to the Garrison that Keith could make out the figures of Same Holt, who was waving excitedly at them, and Iverson, along with several other brass.

Shiro leaned into Keith’s personal space to be seen from the camera. “Everyone, remember, we have to work with the Garrison on this. No petty arguments or fights. We have to be professional.”

“I don’t see why Dad had to go to the Garrison about this,” Pidge complained, crossing her arms in a huff. “They already covered up one alien threat. Who’s to say they won’t just erase any evidence that Voltron exists?”

“Erase like how?” Hunk asked worriedly. “Like, ‘throw us in the brig’ erased, or ‘unidentifiable remains found in the desert’ erased?”

“I dunno, could be either,” Matt teased. “It’s a real toss-up.”

Shiro spoke, “Sam already talked to the Garrison. They agreed to this meeting.”

“But for what sinister purpose?” Matt remarked with a snarky grin.

“Your father believed that Earth had a right to know about the Galra,” Allura stated. “He’s right. They need to know what kind of war they are getting involved in.”

“Plus,” Lance chimed in, “if they wanted to kill us, they’d have already started shooting.”

Hunk shuddered. “Yeah, that doesn’t really make me feel better about this. I mean, if your dad already told them about Voltron, they probably know that their weapons can’t harm it, so they’re just waiting for us to leave the lions, or they want the lions for themselves so they can try and reverse-engineer the weaponry, and then they can…”

“Hunk,” Keith interrupted, “you’re rambling. Everything is gonna be fine.”

“Keith’s right,” Shiro agreed. “There’s nothing to worry about here. We’re finally home.”

Allura stood to her feet. “Well, let’s not keep them waiting.”

Keith dropped the exit hatch, which allowed light to pour into the cabin. He stopped at the opening and shielded his eyes, sensitive to real sunlight after living so long under the florescence of the Castle.

Once he could see properly, he spotted the others filing out into the desert. Matt and Pidge sprinted towards their father as the rest stood stoically at the base of the lions. Hunk had already cornered Coran to discuss what Earth foods he wanted to show him, while Comet ran around excitedly on the grounds of a new planet, kicking up desert dust in his wake. Krolia seemed to be taking a moment to bask in the sunshine that she hadn’t felt in twenty years since she was forced to leave the planet and her family behind. Meanwhile, Lance and Allura were smiling fondly at one another and discreetly twining their fingers together at their sides.

Suddenly, Keith felt a strong hand grip his own. “Ready, baby?” Shiro asked softly.

Keith nodded and tightened his hold. “Ready.”

They took their first step back on Earth, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story of the nose bleed and subsequent de-clothing to stop the bleeding was inspired by arahir's brilliant fic ["back flipped right into my heart"](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12122589/chapters/27493293), just with the roles reversed.


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